The Untended Garden in March!
Excuse the weeds, but the bumbles bees like them.
~Garden and Poster by Goly Ostovar, AGC Member
Garden Poster
Tag Archives: Gardening for Bees
Hellebore for Winter Flowers
Plant Name: Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose)
Plant type: Evergreen perennial
Height: 12” – 15”
Bloom Time: February to April
Flower Color: Varies – Purple, Whitish Yellow, Whitish Green, Pink, Burgundy
Exposure: Full Sun in Winter, Dappled shade in spring, summer, and fall
Soil Requirements: Well drained loamy soil; Amend soil with organic matter
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Late Winter Bloomer, Deer Resistant , Waterwise plant, Long Blooming Season, Flowers have nodding habit.
Firewise status: unknown
Note: Mulch to maintain summer moisture, Monitor for aphids in the spring and treat accordingly. Hellebores provide a variety of bees with nectar and pollen at a time when few other plants are blooming.
Uses: Borders, Containers, Mass Plantings, Woodland Garden, Cut Flowers, Winter Flowers, Pollinator Gardens, Bee Habitat.
USDA Zone: 2-10
Firewise Plant: Muscari armeniacum Grape Hyacinth
Plant Name: Muscari armeniacum
Common name: Grape Hyacinth
Plant Type: Bulbous Perennial
Plant Height: .5’ – .75’
Plant Width: .25’ – .50’
Bloom Time: April
Flower Color: Royal Blue with thin White Rim
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well Drained; Sandy; Loam
Water Needs: Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 10 – Plant 10’+ from structure.
Attributes: Showy Flower; Fragrant; Good Cut Flower; Deer Resistant; Tolerates Clay Soil; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Mass in Open Areas; Around Shrubs; Under Deciduous Trees; Rock Gardens; Front of the Border; Container Plant.
Note: Reduce Watering After Foliage Begins to Die Back.
Native to: Western Asia, Southeastern Europe
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener
Photo by (c)2008 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), GFDL 1.2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html, via Wikimedia Commons
Firewise Plant: Lathyrus odoratus
Plant Name: Lathyrus odoratus
Common name: ‘Winter Elegance’ Sweet Pea
Plant Type: Annual
Plant Height: 8” – 8’
Plant Width: 2’ – 3’
Bloom Time: May – July
Flower Color: All Colors
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained Sandy/Loam
Water Needs: Low – Average; Avoid Overhead Watering.
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1 – 10+ feet from Structure.
Attributes: Good Cut Flower; Fragrant; Deer Resistant; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Arbors; Trellis; Beds & Borders; Containers; Cottage Garden.
Note: Fertilize Regularly During Growing Season with Balanced Liquid Fertilizer; Deadhead to Prolong Bloom; Don’t Plant in Same Area in Consecutive Years.
Native to: Crete, Italy, Sicily
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 – 11
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Jackson Co. Master Gardener
Horticulture Report: Dead Nettle
Plant Name: Lamium species 
Common name: Dead Nettle
Plant Type: Prostrate Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 8” – 12”
Plant Width: 12” – 36”
Bloom Time: May – June
Flower Color: Pink, White, Purple
Exposure: Part Shade to Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Rich, Humus Rich, Well-Drained Soil.
Water Need: Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1-8 – 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Attractive Foliage; Attracts Bees; Variety of Foliage Colors & Textures; Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant.
Uses: Spiller in Containers; Dead Bulb Foliage Cover; Groundcover.
Note: Trailing Type Growth; Cut Back or Shear to Stimulate New Growth; Roots Where Stems Touch Ground.
Native to: Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener
Photo by: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oregon Native: Rhamnus californica (Coffeeberry)
Plant Name: Rhamnus californica/Frangula californica
Common name: Coffeeberry
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 8’
Spread: 5’ – 15’
Bloom Time: Spring/Summer
Flower Color: Greenish White Flower with Red, Purple, then Black Berries over Summer.
Exposure: Sun or Shade
Soil Requirements: Not particular about soil, but good drainage.
Water Needs: Low
Attributes: Valued by Birds; Butterflies & Moths Hosted; Deer Resistant; Bee Garden.
Note: Takes well to Pruning.
Uses: Fire Resistant Hedge.
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7-10
Report by: Viki Ashford
Flower Image Credit: Evangele19 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Berry Image Credit: Brofri / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)